CN1558845B - Bumper with crash can - Google Patents

Abstract

A bumper assembly (10) for a motor vehicle is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the bumper assembly includes a bumper and an exterior fascia that at least partially covers the bumper. The bumper includes at least one crush can (12).

Description

bumper with crush box

technical field

This invention relates generally to bumpers and, more particularly, to bumper beams.

Background technique

Generally, bumpers are provided at front and rear portions of a vehicle in a width direction thereof, and are mounted to beams extending in a longitudinal direction. A typical bumper includes a steel beam or reinforcement member attached to the body rail and covered by an exterior trim panel. Such steel beams are heavy and often deform or buckle under impact. Therefore, the energy generated by the impact can be transferred to the vehicle beam and cause additional damage to the vehicle.

The buffer energy-absorbing system controls the impact energy and impact intrusion under the premise of not exceeding the load limit of the vehicle longitudinal beam, so as to reduce the damage caused by the impact of the vehicle. The efficiency of a cushioning system is defined as the energy it absorbs over its absorbing distance. An efficient buffer system absorbs more energy over a shorter distance than a less efficient buffer system. High efficiency is achieved by rapidly increasing the load below the load limit of the stringer and maintaining this level of load until the impact energy is completely dissipated.

Some existing bumper energy absorbing systems include a bumper, and an energy absorber coupled to the bumper. The function of the energy absorber is to absorb the energy from the impact. The production process of manufacturing the energy absorber separately and then assembling the energy absorber to the bumper increases both the production cost and the assembly cost of the bumper assembly compared to a simple steel beam type bumper.

Other existing cushioning energy-absorbing systems adopt foamed resins, for example, such cushioning energy-absorbing systems are disclosed in US Patent Documents No. 4,762,353 and 4,941,701. Foam-based cushioning systems are loaded slowly in the event of a crash, which results in large cushion displacements. In addition, foams have an effective compressibility of sixty to seventy percent, beyond which point the foam becomes incompressible and thus cannot fully absorb impact energy. The remaining impact energy needs to be absorbed by deformation of the bumper support beam and/or the body structure. In addition, foam is also sensitive to temperature, so the displacement characteristics and impact absorption performance of the cushioning system will change significantly with temperature. Generally, as the temperature decreases, the foam becomes more rigid, allowing the load to increase. In contrast, as the temperature increases, the foam becomes more deformable, thereby increasing the displacement and possibly causing damage to the vehicle.

There are also some existing cushioning systems with some crash cans. The crush box is fabricated separately and attached directly to the bumper in alignment with the vehicle rails. During an impact, such as a deflected impact, the crush box absorbs energy and helps prevent damage to the bumper. However, the production process of separately manufacturing the crush tank and attaching it to the bumper adds cost and complexity to the bumper assembly.

Contents of the invention

In one aspect, the present application provides a bumper assembly for a motor vehicle. The bumper assembly includes a bumper and an exterior fascia at least partially covering the bumper. The bumper includes at least one crush box.

In another aspect, the present application provides an energy absorbing beam for a bumper assembly. The energy-absorbing beam includes a frame and a beam body extending from the frame. The beam body includes a first transverse wall; a second transverse wall spaced apart from the first transverse wall; and at least one crush tank located between the first transverse wall and the second transverse wall.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a bumper;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the bumper shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of a portion of the bumper shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along line 4-4 in Figure 3, showing different wall plate structures of the crush tank.

Detailed ways

A thermoplastic bumper including an adjustable crush box will be described in detail below. The term "adjustable" as used herein means that the characteristic parameters of these crush tanks (such as the angle of the wall panels) can be selected in order to obtain the desired working results, as will be described in more detail below introduce. In the description of this article, the crush tank is often regarded as integrated with the bumper, which means that the crush tank is made into a component of the bumper, rather than a separate component separate from the bumper. Just make the bumper be a one-piece monolithic structure. The word "one-piece" also includes constructions in which the bumper is molded in sections and the sections are then fastened together - for example by welding.

The combination of crush boxes on the bumper creates a cushioning system that absorbs energy without having to install a separate energy absorber on the bumper. For example, during a low speed impact, the impact force is kept at a level just below a predetermined value by deforming the bumper until the kinetic energy of the impact event is absorbed. When the low-velocity impact process is over, the bumper essentially returns to its original shape and maintains sufficient integrity to withstand subsequent impacts.

Additionally, it is believed that combining the effective energy absorbing properties of a thermoplastic bumper with an integrated crush tank can result in better impact cushioning performance than conventional metal bumpers. Furthermore, it is believed that the impact absorption performance of a thermoplastic bumper with an integrated crush box is higher than that of a thermoplastic bumper without a crush box.

The bumper can be made from one of a wide variety of plastic materials including, for example, ® , available from the General Electric Company of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Material. However, the bumper is not limited to this material, other materials can also be used.

树脂)、聚酰胺、聚苯硫醚树脂(phenylene sulfide resins)、聚氯乙烯PVC、耐冲击性聚苯乙烯(HIPS)、低/高密度聚乙烯(l/hdpe)、聚丙烯(pp)、以及热塑性烯烃(tpo)。例如还可用一种玻璃纤维毡热塑性塑料(GMT)来制造(例如采用压缩成型工艺)保险杠，上述的GMT材料例如是材料(这种材料在第5643989号美国专利中进行了描述，且可从位于北卡罗来纳州谢尔比市的Azdel公司购得)。More specifically, the materials used to make bumpers should have certain properties including: high toughness/ductility, thermal stability, high energy absorption capacity, good modulus-to-elongation ratio, and recyclability. While bumpers can be molded in sections, bumpers can also be made of a tough plastic material as a unitary structure. As mentioned above, one exemplary material for making bumpers is Xenoy material. Of course, other thermoplastic engineering resin materials can also be used. Typical thermoplastic engineering resin materials include (but are not limited to): acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polycarbonate/ABS blends, copolycarbonate-polyester, acrylic - Styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA), acrylonitrile-(diamine-modified ethylene-polypropylene)-styrene (AES), polyphenylene ether resin (phenylene etherresin), polyphenylene ether/polyamide blend ( NORYL by General Electric ), polycarbonate/PET/PBT blends, polybutylene terephthalate and impact modifiers (produced by General Electric

resin), polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide resin (phenylene sulfide resins), polyvinyl chloride PVC, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), low/high density polyethylene (l/hdpe), polypropylene (pp), and thermoplastic olefins (tpo). For example, a glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) can also be used to manufacture (for example, by compression molding) the bumper. The above-mentioned GMT material is, for example, material (this material is described in US Patent No. 5,643,989 and is available from Azdel Corporation, Shelby, NC).

Referring specifically to the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a bumper 10 including an integrated adjustable crush box 12 , and FIG. 2 is a rear view of a part of the bumper 10 . Typically, an exterior trim panel (not shown) is secured to the bumper 10, and the exterior trim panel is typically made of a thermoplastic material suitable for use as a post-stage of conventional vehicle painting and/or coating processes. Refined treatment. The exterior trim wraps around the bumper 10 such that the bumper 10 cannot be seen after it has been installed on the vehicle.

The bumper 10 is substantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape and includes a frame 14 . The beam body 16 extending from the frame 14 includes a first flange plate 18 and a second flange plate 20 extending longitudinally. The flange plates 18 and 20 enclose a channel 22 which also extends longitudinally. A plurality of reinforcing and stiffening ribs 24 are provided between the flange plates 18 and 20 within the channel 22 and on the outer surfaces 26 and 28 of the flange plates 18 and 20 .

The bumper 10 also has vehicle attachment portions 30, 32 and includes apertures 34 for securing the bumper 10 to the frame rails. A reinforcing member 36 extends from the beam body 16 to the connecting portion 32 . When the bumper 10 is secured to the vehicle, the crush box 12 is generally in a position aligned with the vehicle rails. By positioning the crush tank 12 at a position aligned with the rail of the vehicle, the crush tank can be made to play a role in the collision process, so as to reduce damage to the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 3 , which is a front perspective view of a portion of the bumper 3 , the crush box 12 includes a plurality of panels 50 , 52 , 54 . In addition, see Figures 4, 5, and 6. These views are cross-sectional views along the line 4-4 in Figure 3, showing various optional values of the crushing angles A, B, and C. For the crushing angle A , B, C changes will result in changes in stiffness and impact characteristics. For example, by making the walls 50, 52, 54 more upright, the crush tank 12 becomes more rigid. In addition, if the wall panels 50, 52, 54 are arranged more compactly, the rigidity of the crush tank 12 can also be improved. In addition, the spacing between the ribs 24 can also be varied, that is, the bumper 10 can become stiffer as the spacing between the ribs 24 decreases.

By modifying at least one of the above-mentioned three indicators (that is, the angles A, B, and C of the panels; the spacing between the panels 50, 52, 54; and the spacing between the ribs 24), the The crush box 12 is adjusted to the desired rigidity. As vehicles vary in weight and use (eg, non-operating passenger cars, operating passenger cars, light trucks), the bumper 10 can be tuned for a particular vehicle weight and use.

Of course, other variables can also be used to adjust the crush tank 12. For example, the crush box 12 can be tailored to a particular application by varying the thickness of the wall panels 50,52,54. For example, the nominal thickness of the wall panels may vary over a wide range of about 1.75 mm to about 3.0 mm. More specifically, for some low impact applications, the nominal thickness of the wall panels is usually in the range of about 1.75mm to about 2.0mm, while for other applications, a larger range of possible wall thicknesses is about 2.5mm to 3.0mm.

Another aspect of properly tuning the crush tank 12 is the selection of the thermoplastic resin used. The resin used can be selected from low modulus, medium modulus or high modulus materials according to needs. By carefully studying the above-mentioned variables, the impact energy absorption characteristics of the crush tank 12 can be made to meet the desired target value.

As mentioned above, integrating an injection molded thermoplastic bumper with a crush tank would allow the bumper to absorb energy more efficiently than a steel bumper or a simple thermoplastic bumper. Improved impact performance means lower repair costs for "bucked fenders" at low speeds and less damage to vehicles in high-speed collisions. In addition, since the bumper of this structure does not have a separate energy absorber, it can also save costs. Combining a thermoplastic bumper with an adjustable crush box allows for quick and efficient loading and controlled crash events.

Although the present invention has been described above with respect to various specific implementations, those skilled in the art can recognize that the present invention can be modified in various forms within the design idea and protection scope defined by the claims.

Claims (11)

1. bumper/spoiler assembly, it comprises:

Bumper/spoiler, it comprises monomer-type thermoplastic material beam body and at least one crash can of lengthwise, described bumper/spoiler is the single unitary structure; And

Outer plaque, it is used for covering at least a part of described bumper/spoiler,

Wherein said at least one crash can comprises first crash can and second crash can,

And wherein first crash can is configured with the first vehicle longeron and aligns, and second crash can is configured with the second vehicle longeron and aligns.

2. bumper/spoiler assembly according to claim 1, wherein said bumper/spoiler constitutes with thermoplastic material.

3. bumper/spoiler assembly according to claim 1, wherein said crash can is adjustable.

4. bumper/spoiler assembly according to claim 1, wherein said bumper/spoiler comprises framework, described beam body extends from described framework, and described beam body comprises first flange plate and second flange plate and the passage between first flange plate and second flange plate.

5. bumper/spoiler assembly according to claim 1, wherein said crash can comprise the separated wallboard of polylith, and at least one item in wallboard spacing, angle, thickness and the material is selectable.

6. plastic moulding bumper/spoiler that is used for vehicle, described bumper/spoiler comprise monomer-type thermoplastic material beam body and at least one crash can of lengthwise, and described bumper/spoiler is the single unitary structure,

Wherein said at least one crash can comprises first crash can and second crash can,

And wherein first crash can is configured with the first vehicle longeron and aligns, and second crash can is configured with the second vehicle longeron and aligns.

7. bumper/spoiler according to claim 6, it also comprises framework, described beam body extends from described framework, and described beam body comprises first flange plate and second flange plate, has formed passage between described first flange plate and described second flange plate.

8. bumper/spoiler according to claim 6, it also comprises the first vehicle longeron connecting bridge and the second vehicle longeron connecting bridge, each described vehicle longeron connecting bridge all is configured aims at its pairing vehicle longeron, and is fixed on this vehicle longeron.

9. bumper/spoiler according to claim 6, wherein said bumper/spoiler constitutes with thermoplastic material.

10. bumper/spoiler according to claim 6, wherein said crash can is adjustable.

11. bumper/spoiler according to claim 6, wherein said crash can comprise the separated wallboard of polylith, and at least one item in wallboard spacing, angle, thickness and the material is selectable.

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